1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a yarn take-up tube such as a paper tube supplying apparatus comprising a doffing device which can travel along a winder having a number of winding units disposed thereon such as an automatic winder, and storage means which store yarn take-up tubes used by the doffing device during doffing, the storage means being provided on the winding units. In particular, the present invention relates to an apparatus in which a supply of paper tubes to the storage means for the winding units can be automatically accomplished.
2. Prior Art
The entire doffing system including a yarn take-up tube supplying apparatus in an automatic winder will be explained with reference to FIG. 6. Reference numeral 1 designates to a frame of an automatic winder; 2 winding units disposed on the frame 1, 3 a box as storage means for each winding unit; 4 a discharge conveyor for package P disposed along the back of the winder; 5 a rail disposed above the winder; and 6 a doffing device capable of travelling along the automatic winder by the rail 5. This doffing device 6 performs a series of operations as described below. When a package P is finished to be wound by a specific winding unit 2, unwinding is interrupted and a lamp 11 is lighted. The doffing device 6 detects the lighting of the lamp 11 and stops before a spindle thereof. The doffing device then picks up a yarn Y. Thereafter, a cutter cuts the yarn Y and holds a lower yarn. After this, a cradle arm 10 is opened to discharge the package P onto the discharge conveyor 4. A paper tube 13 is held and carried from the paper tube box 3 to the cradle arm 10. Next, the yarn Y is put between the paper tube and the cradle arm 10, and the thus put yarn Y is moved to a bunch winding position where the bunch winding takes place. Then, a button 12 is depressed to allow the winding unit 2 start.
Machines and tools provided on the doffing device 6 which carries out a series of doffing operations as mentioned above will be explained with reference to FIG. 7. Reference numeral 15 designates a pick-up for picking up a yarn; 16 a cutter for cutting and holding a yarn; 17 an opener for opening and closing the cradle arm; 18 chucker for holding and carrying a paper tube to the cradle arm; 19 a yarn moving lever for moving a yarn to a predetermined position; 20 a roller for rotating a package or a paper tube during a yarn picking and a bunch winding; and 21 a hooker for vertically moving the cradle arm 10. Although the shown machines and tools are in standby state, when a row of cams 22 is rotated, the machines and tools assume a predetermined position in predetermined order to effect a predetermined operation.
That is, in FIG. 6, the conventional yarn take-up tube supplying apparatus is composed of the box 3 as storage means of each spindle of the winding unit 2, and the doffing device 6. The chucker 18 of the doffing device 6 holds the paper tube 13 of the box 3 and carries it to the cradle arm 10. Alternatively, there exists a paper tube supplying system in which the doffing device 6 has a larger box in place of the box 3 of each spindle of the winding unit 2. This system is based on the assumption that an automatic winder winds a single kind of yarn around a paper tube. However, in some case, all the spindles of the automatic winder are divided into, for example, two groups, and kinds of yarns A and B are wound by the respective groups, in which case, there is provided the box 3 for each spindle in which each spindle can stock a paper tube corresponding to the kind of yarn.
In the above-mentioned conventional yarn take-up tube supplying apparatus, there is a limit in that the number of paper tubes 13 capable of being received by the box 3 of each spindle is about four at the maximum. It is therefore necessary for an operator to always monitor the state of the box 13 and feed paper tubes corresponding to the kinds of yarns, resulting in requiring labor. In view of this, there has been proposed a yarn take-up tube supplying apparatus in which a conveyor for paper tubes is caused to travel on a travel path of a doffing device, two or more holding portions for receiving paper tubes from the conveyor are rotatably provided within a vertical surface on the doffing device, and a chucker for the doffing device can selectively hold the paper tubes from the holding portions. However, this apparatus has a problem in that since two or more holding portions which rotate within the vertical surface are provided, a large-scaled exclusive doffing device need be newly installed.